The desert wind scraped against the battered walls of the prefab inspection room. Dust swirled lazily through the open doorway where the 280th stood lined up. I was in the middle of them, standing at attention with my pulse ticking at my temple.

Lieutenant Kaśnyk paced slowly before us, the heels of his polished black boots clicking softly against the steel flooring. His long grey coat swept behind him with each step. He wasn’t tall, not towering like some officers, but he didn’t need to be. There was something about his presence — like the quiet pause before a cutting remark. The green monocle affixed over his left eye flickered softly as it fed him data I couldn’t read. I found myself avoiding its gaze.

His voice was measured, neither warm nor cold, but steady. “A patrol assigned to this sector is overdue.” He paused, turning slightly, letting his eye scan down the line. “Your patrol route placed you west of the station’s outer perimeter. You weren’t there.”

Our interim sergeant answered without hesitation. “We were patrolling closer to the interior. Avoiding bad terrain. Likely a paperwork snarl somewhere, sir.”

Kaśnyk's monocle pulsed as if noting the excuse. His expression didn’t change. “Bureaucratic error, is it?”

The sergeant gave a small nod. “I believe so, sir.”

The lieutenant moved on, stepping past him and pausing briefly as he stopped opposite me. His eyes lingered just long enough for me to feel the sweat prickling at my brow. The monocle’s faint glow caught the curve of my cheek. He said nothing, but in that stillness, it felt like he was peeling layers from me without lifting a finger. Then he moved on.

“You’re Imperial Guardsmen,” Kaśnyk continued, stepping back to address us all. “So I expect mistakes. I expect cut corners. But I also expect answers.”

There was no immediate accusation in his voice — just an expectation. His words hung in the air like dust refusing to settle.

Finally, after one more long glance across the line, Kaśnyk nodded. “Dismissed.”

As we broke ranks and turned to leave, I risked one last look over my shoulder. Kaśnyk remained still, adjusting the dataslate in his gloved hands. His eyes weren’t on us anymore. They were on whatever note he’d made for himself.